A man accused of stealing an SUV after killing its owner pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree murder during a carjacking, but he gave the judge one condition -- that he gets to hug his two sisters before going to prison.
Fresno County Superior Court Judge Jonathan Conklin accepted Kenneth James Wilson's plea.
The judge then said he would ask the Fresno jail staff to grant Wilson's hug request. If the request isn't fulfilled by Tuesday, then Wilson's plea deal can be withdrawn, Conklin said.
The plea agreement mandates that Wilson spend life in prison without parole in the death of Julian "Julio" Barajas, 41, of Fresno, who was killed Feb. 19, 2008. It was made without the blessing of prosecutor Burton Francis, who didn't think Wilson should get to hug his sisters before prison.
If the hug doesn't occur, Francis said he was ready to try Wilson in the potential death-penalty case.
Fresno County sheriff's detectives say Wilson, 31, told Barajas that he was interested in buying his 1999 Chevy S10 Blazer and asked him to drive it to Auberry. But when Barajas showed up, Wilson shot and killed him and then drove off with his vehicle.
After a massive manhunt, Wilson was arrested a few months later near the Big Sandy Rancheria.
Much of Thursday's hearing was behind closed doors, but the legal arguments center on Conklin's ruling in July when he found Wilson legally incompetent to stand trial and suspended criminal proceedings.
After a brief stay at Atascadero State Hospital, Wilson was deemed fit for trial, doctors say. Attorneys James Lambe and Jane Boulger, who represents Wilson, have disagreed with the doctors' finding.
In open court, Conklin ruled that Wilson was competent to stand trial and reinstated criminal proceedings against him. He also said Wilson "intelligently and knowingly" entered his guilty plea and waived his rights to appeal.
In exchange, the death penalty was off the table, the judge said.
At one point, Wilson told Conklin he didn't need the Tuesday hearing because he believed jail staff would "act in good faith" and grant his request to hug his sisters. "I don't want to waste any more of the court's time," Wilson said.
But after Boulger whispered in his ear, Wilson told the judge that it would be better to hold Tuesday's hearing.
If Wilson gets to hug his sisters, he will be sentenced Dec. 10.
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